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The problem with adopting fan material into franchises is always intellectual property rights. Because fan material is produced without the consent/supervision of the original company, there's basically no precedent for anything like artistic control or profit sharing. That's why, unfortunately, it almost never happens; because in almost all cases it is just way simpler for a company in the content-creation industry to come up with something itself (ideas in creative industries are a dime a dozen; what is actually valuable about a company and its staff is their productive facilities).

I think that it's really cool that Urobochi saw and commented on the character design, but it is a forgone conclusion that nothing will ever come of it.

The problem with adopting fan material into franchises is always intellectual property rights. Because fan material is produced without the consent/supervision of the original company, there's basically no precedent for anything like artistic control or profit sharing.

To make things worse, due to concerns over allegations of copyright infringement, the original company can't even make something somewhat similar to known fan material. Which mean, once it shows up as a fan creation, you can kiss goodbye to any chance of it appearing in the original work!

I vaguely recall reading somewhere that Japan has relatively lax copyright laws (which is what enables fans to write and sell doujins based around established anime/manga characters).

Take "Jinna Asumi", alter her name slightly, and maybe slightly alter her character design (put something in her hair, say), and SHAFT could be good to go...

Sorry, I didn't mean to imply it was about laws. The issue of Japan's doujinshi market and the overlooking of fans profiting by making parody material is different from the idea of originate companies taking fan material and incorporating them into the official commercial product. Like Jimmy C suggested, the issue is with the fan placing limitations on use or accusing the company of infringement.

Do you guys really not see the problem with a company, say, taking a fan's independently published idea, modifying it slightly and adopting it into the source material, subsequently making gigantic wads of cash off of the concept without the original fan ever seeing a penny of it? Alternatively, say that to avoid copyright infringement, the company strikes up a deal with the original creator. However, in the very act of attempting to strike up that deal the company is acknowledging that the idea has value, which gives the fan/original creator a bargaining position. The fan, for their own part might have their own demands such as a cut of the profits or artistic control/certain creative limitations over the use of the character. All of this provides a disincentive for the company compared to the use of its own ideas generated within the company (the concepts being completely owned by them, i.e. the company receives all the profits plus they have full creative control over it).

It's basically a question of the fan/original creator's rights versus the profit-driven mentality of a corporation. Copyright laws are oriented towards protecting/aiding the original creators (which is correct, as should be obvious). However, it's precisely because of that factor that it is far simpler/profitable and sustainable by far for a company which is oriented towards generating content internally based on its own ideas to stick to material which it has generated and negotiated according to its established standards internally.

Well, if you wanted to be outright sinister, it'd be easy to alter the concept enough that you couldn't prove it was inspired by the troll picture. The magical girl outfit is almost 100% undefined, for instance.

Sorry, I didn't mean to imply it was about laws. The issue of Japan's doujinshi market and the overlooking of fans profiting by making parody material is different from the idea of originate companies taking fan material and incorporating them into the official commercial product. Like Jimmy C suggested, the issue is with the fan placing limitations on use or accusing the company of infringement.

But Jinna Asumi wasn't created by Madoka fans. She was created by people trolling Madoka fans. In other words, she was created by trolls.

If Jinna Asumi was created by a serious Madoka fan, I'd completely agree with you - It would then be in really bad taste for SHAFT to steal that idea, slightly alter it, and leave their creative fan completely out in the cold.

But trolling the trolls? I have to admit I see some poetic justice in that.

But if SHAFT wants to negotiate with the trolls that created Jinna Asumi, go right ahead. Like other people here, I just think her character concept is pretty good, even if it was meant to troll Madoka fans.

I vaguely recall reading somewhere that Japan has relatively lax copyright laws (which is what enables fans to write and sell doujins based around established anime/manga characters).

Take "Jinna Asumi", alter her name slightly, and maybe slightly alter her character design (put something in her hair, say), and SHAFT could be good to go...

Aye, Japan has pretty sane and reasonable copyright laws from what I've read. I don't think there's any real equivalent to the RIAA, aka the 'We Completely Ignore Fair Use and Sue People For More Money Than Exists in the World Club.'

Aye, Japan has pretty sane and reasonable copyright laws from what I've read. I don't think there's any real equivalent to the RIAA, aka the 'We Completely Ignore Fair Use and Sue People For More Money Than Exists in the World Club.'

This is admittedly a bit OT, but one of the things I love about anime (and its related industries in Japan) is how it shows that you can have a successful entertainment industries that respects fanworks without going insane over copyrights. The way copyrights work in America is indeed insane, imo.

So, in the end of the tv series madoak saccrificed her very existence to make the world a slightly better place, what interests me about movie 3 is that it is set after madoka and it will answer the question "Did the world really become a better place?"

Dang it Avalon, you c(XD LOL)-block Shirou and Reinforce, but don't protect his mind in other ways? What is wrong, you woman?
Friendship, be made! Magical power, gather! Starlight Breaker.... this world!

Madoka's wish wasn't to make the world a better place, but to give magical girls a glimmer of hope. In the end the essence of the world didn't change, but at least the magical girls can look forward to a better end of their own lives.

Well, it is slightly better; Magical Girls are no longer responsible for countless civilian deaths. We know Witches seem to have different means of choosing human targets, such as going after people they loved in life. Mami's still hanging with Kyoko amiably could be implying that she never lost that little boy to Wraiths. Puella Magi G turning into Witch K won't kill Civilians O-V.

Now, will Wraiths try and close the gap of dead innocents? Probably, yea. But it doesn't seem like they're anywhere near as successful or terrifying.